Countdown to Opening Day: #28 San Diego Padres

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#28 San Diego Padres: Laughing at the Friars' Club

PROJECTED LINEUP

SS Everth Cabrera
CF Cameron Maybin
3B Chase Headley
LF Carlos Quentin
1B Yonder Alonso
RF Wil Venable
2B Logan Forsythe
C Nick Hundley
P Edison Volquez

**Yasmani Grandal (C) suspended 50 games

PROJECTED ROTATION

Edison Volquez
Clayton Richard
Eric Stults
Casey Kelly
Jason Marquis

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Huston Street

Set-up: Dale Thayer

Top Prospect: Jedd Gyorko (2B)

Huston Street

I guess the New York Mets recent luck changed when they altered the dimensions of Citi Field, becuase San Diego thought they would give it a try.
Petco Park is indeed the friendliest pitcher's park in the majors, but to think a few feet closer to home plate will make them into the modern day Bash Brothers is laughable.
Maybe instead of going Metropolitan-mad they should take their ideas from defending World Series champs, in their own division, the San Francisco Giants. They were anything but a big time offense last season and they still found a way to have a parade in October.
The Padres have won 90 games once since 2000 and I do not know why they backed off that year's philosophy. In 2010 when the Friars finished 90-72 they had the best bullpen in the majors. The starters needed to play damage control for six innings and then Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson and Heath Bell locked it down.
Every ounce of their budget should have gone into making that bullpen the best in the bigs. Huston Street is a strong option for the ninth inning, but leading up to that could be good, yet could also be gruesome.
If it is a strength, not even to the degree of three years ago, the Padres could be a sneaky contender. 

Chase Headley

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - Turns out the joke was on us and the Padres put together one of the most dangerous lineups in the National League. A few feet in on the fences makes Carlos Quentin wide-eyed and he launches 30 plus, as does legit MVP candidate Chase Headley. They finally get a full season out of Cameron Maybin who thrives in the two-hole between Headley and base-stealing machine Everth Cabrera. The former Reds' prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal add length to the lineup and before the  league blinks Jedd Gyorko is Rookie of the Year and San Diego is a scary team in September.

REAL TALK - Layered behind promising skills is inconsistency and behind that is more inconsistency. Chase Headley will struggle to live up to his breakout 2012 and the Padres have a revolving rotation. No body in the majors will have as many different starters throughout the season. Other than Clayton Richard and Edinson Volquez no one else sticks in the San Diego long enough to make 20 starts.

Breakout: Jedd Gyorko (2B)

Bust: Yonder Alonso (1B)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Andrew Cashner (RHP)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 76-86 (4th in NL West)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 71-91 (5th in NL West)

**Check back tomorrow for the Minnesota Twins**